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Analyst on Boston Celtics star: ‘He’s not Giannis, he’s not Steph, he’s not KD’

By Andrew Hughes

Locked' On Celtics podcast host John Karalis noted that he doesn't believe Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is on the same level as the NBA's biggest stars (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Locked' On Celtics podcast host John Karalis noted that he doesn't believe Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is on the same level as the NBA's biggest stars (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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Locked’ On Celtics podcast host John Karalis had a brutally bearish take on Jayson Tatum taking clutch shots for the Boston Celtics during late-game situations — shots he hasn’t been making during the C’s post-All-Star break malaise that has seen them go 8-6.

Karalis isn’t a fan of Tatum shooting step-back 3-pointers, his preferred created shot of choice, and questioned Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla’s propensity to rely on them in late-game situations. “What I didn’t like was the Tatum pull up, which, Joe Mazzulla after the game is like, ‘I’ll take that 100 times out of 100,’ nd every game, I’m like, ‘really?” Karalis prefaced before saying, “Because he’s gonna miss 70 times.’ There’s no reason to expect that he was going to go and have this big, big moment, other than he’s Jayson Tatum.”

Karalis then took it a step further and claimed Tatum isn’t the kind of player you can rely on in such a capacity before listing several players that are. “But you know what? I’m tired of that,” Karalis said. “I’m tired of that notion. Because he’s not there. He hasn’t earned, ‘well, he’s Jayson Tatum.’ He just hasn’t earned that. He hasn’t…He’s not Giannis. He’s not Steph. He’s not KD. He’s not at that level, where you’ve earned the well, ‘he’s insert name. Of course you want him taking that shot.’ I don’t think he’s there.”

The Boston Celtics haven’t earned regular season complacency

Whether Tatum has earned the right to take the final shot is unclear. The 25-year-old is the best option for the Boston Celtics most nights, with Jaylen Brown typically the go-to guy on Tatum’s off-nights. The players Karalis listed have all won a championship, so perhaps Banner 18 changes that perception.

But what’s clear as day is that the Cs have no right to be complacent in the regular season as they’ve been. Having not accomplished anything besides a conference championship, having that mindset is toxic — and no surprise, came from the influences of Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson — and is the No. 1 way the current roster will remain ringless for the foreseeable future.

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